I Carry Your Heart (With Me)
by midaswhale
Summary: If you asked Queenie's friends to describe her, you'd get similar answers. Mal might shrug and say she's too nice. Evie could call her a people pleaser. Jay would say she's gullible. Carlos may comment that she's not a leader. {aka the one where there's a fifth descendant and her mother is the queen of hearts}
1. i

Of course it had to be the red that ran out.

Queenie wrinkled her nose, pressing the button harder and holding it, but to no avail, as the spray bottle let out its last huff of air before it fell silent. No matter how many times she shook or slapped the damn thing, the can continued to be a drama queen.

With a loud sigh, she threw it over her shoulder, the empty bottle striking the cement behind her and rolling far away, but she didn't really pay attention to it - instead, she stepped back and focused on her handy work.

It wasn't as pretty as Mal's but it was a good start - it was half black, half red with the Long Live Evil! alternating between the two, and multiple hearts and clubs that gave it character. Well - too bad the red half was only half done.

Queenie pouted, glancing down at her feet. Sure, she had remembered the extra cans of black - but the red? Of course not.

She considered running back home to dig through her room - or even ask one of the boys if they had one she could use - but what if someone saw it while she was gone? What if people laughed at it and then told her mom about it? What if her mom got angry?

She really didn't want to see her mom angry.

Queenie reached down for one of the discarded cans, deciding then and there to just destroy the painting, she could redo it later, but before she could, she heard Mal's voice, loud and clear.

"They say I'm trouble, they say I'm bad. They say I'm evil. And that makes me glad."

She backed away from the brick wall, green eyes searching the streets for any sign of her friends - which wasn't hard, considering they all wore rather colorful clothing. "A dirty no-good," Jay sang, Queenie's head whipping up as she watched him descend down a ladder close by, "Down to the bone. Your worst nightmare can't take me home."

Evie strutted across the table, singing, "So I've got some mischief, in my blood, Can you blame me? I never got no love." A man was playing cards nearby and he leaned back, relying only on the back two legs and well - he had it coming. Queenie, on her way past, grabbed the back of the chair and - barely even - pulled on it. She rushed away to avoid getting hit, giggling to herself as the man flailed wildly before he hit the ground, his cards going everywhere.

Queenie ignored his yelling, instead focusing on catching up with the rest of her friends, as well as listening to Carlos' words. "They think I'm callous, a low-life hood. I feel so useless - "

" - Misunderstood!" Queenie cried out, similar to her friends.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall," Queenie sang along with Mal and Evie, all three walking through an alley, confidence in each of their steps, "Who's the baddest of them all? Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world!" All four arrived at a metal gate, simply throwing it open, as they all sang, "I'm rotten to the core, core." Each ran across the wooden boxes, "Rotten to the core, I'm rotten to the core, core, Who could ask for more?"

Mal shoved a few men out of their ways, and while her friends walked along the dirty bundles of clothing, Queenie ripped a bed sheet from the clothing line that had been in front of her, tossing it over a screaming woman. "I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door, I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the core."

Grabbing some poles that had been left laying around, they struck metal piles and buckets, creating an interesting beat - or racket, Queenie couldn't really tell. They all laughed loudly and yelled, as they chased each other through a tunnel, banging their sticks wildly here and there.

"Call me a schemer, call me a freak," Mal continued, using one of her many spray cans and writing a giant purple 'M' on a white cloth, before pulling it back to reveal a drunk man in a bath tub, dressed only in his pajamas. " How can you say that? I'm just... unique!"

"What, me? A traitor? Ain't got your back?" Jay grabbed an old tea pot from the middle of a table, gesturing towards the two people and their tea cups, before jumping the table and making off with it. "Are we not friends? What's up with that?"

"So I'm a misfit, so I'm a flirt," Evie sang, making her way through a valley of scarves, before pulling one of the neck of one man, leaving him only with a lingering gaze, "I broke your heart? I made you hurt?"

"The past is past," Queenie sang, walking along a wooden board, kicking off a bucket of apples, before jumping down and hopping onto a cart of hay, throwing a handful at a woman that protested. "Forgive, forget The truth is...You ain't seen nothing yet!"

"Mirror, mirror on the wall," The three girls sang, watching from a balcony as Carlos used a rope to pull the movable beam that Jay was hanging on to, like some kind of monkey. "Who's the baddest of them all? Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world."

They all gathered in the middle of a street, joining the crowd that was already there, before they began to dance to beat of the music. "I'm rotten to the core, core. Rotten to the core. I'm rotten to the core, core. Who could ask for more? I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door. I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the core."

When they finished, Mal paused before rushing forward and taking a lollipop away from a small child, something that excited the crowd that they had drawn. Mal turned, holding the candy above her head victoriously, a smirk on her face. Queenie laughed along with the others until she noticed two henchmen walking towards them.

The sight alone was enough to wipe the smile from her face.

The crowd scrambled away, and Queenie glanced at the others, catching Jay's eyes and mouthing "Run?" Before he could say anything, she heard Mal say, "Hi, mom."

Queenie's eyes widened and she turned back to look at where everyone else was looking. The two henchmen were separated, and Maleficent appeared, looking - terrifying as usual. "Stealing candy from a baby, Mal? So disappointing." Mal held the candy out to her mother, her voice hopeful as she offered, "It was from a baby."

Maleficent grinned at that, taking the candy from her daughter's hand. "That's my nasty little girl." She spit on the candy, before holding it after her armpit for a moment, and Queenie grimaced, actually feeling sorry for the little kid. "Give it back to the dreadful creature," Maleficent commanded, giving the lollipop to one of the henchmen.

"Mom - "

"It's the deeds, Mal, that make the difference between mean and truly evil. When I was your age, I was cursing entire kingdoms - " Noticing that Mal had mouthed the last part sarcastically, Maleficent let out a laugh, " - You - Walk with me." The woman wrapped her arm around her daughter, leading her further away from their group.

"You see, I'm just trying to teach you the thing that really counts. How to be me."

"I know that. And I'll do better."

There was a pause, before Maleficent sprung up suddenly, as if something had bitten her, and cried out, "Oh! There's news!" She turned back to face all five of them, before continuing, "I buried the lead! You five - " She pointed at them, " - Have been chosen to go to a new school. In Auradon."

Queenie's first reaction was to run - run as fast and as far as she could, run home and hide under her bed for the rest of her life if that's what it took - but Maleficent must have thought things through, as Queenie found herself being picked up by her shoulders, her legs and arms almost useless as she tried desperately to kick or punch or claw the henchman behind her.

When he finally sat her down, she turned and glared at his ugly face before looking back at Maleficent. "What?" Mal exclaimed, "I'm not going to some boarding school filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses - "

" - And perfect princes," Evie said dreamily as she stepped forward. Mal threw her a look, and Evie's face dropped, as she tried to cover it up with a fake "Ugh."

"Yeah, I don't do 'uniforms'," Jay then laughed, clapping his gloved hands together, "Unless it's leather, you feel me?" He held his hand up to Carlos for a high five, but the younger boy ignored it, brown eyes wide with fear.

"And I really don't want to be in some How to be Good class," Queenie added, wincing at the thought of actually doing homework and paying attention in class, especially one where they taught you how to fight dragons or rescue princesses from towers. Jay turned to Queenie, his eyes holding a little more concern than before. "You don't think they'll - "

Carlos stepped behind Mal quickly, interrupting the conversation. "I read somewhere that they allow dogs in Auradon. Mom says their rapid pack animals that eat boys who don't behave." With a smirk on his face, Jay snuck behind the boy and mimiked a dog barking, making Carlos jump.

"Yeah, mom. We're not going."

"Aww, you think it's small, pumpkin? It's about world domination," she explained smugly, before turning dramatically, her cape catching the wind, as she called out, "Knuckleheads!" When she began to walk away, she also cried out in a sing song voice, "Mal!" The five looked at each other and, seeing as they had no other option, began to follow behind.

* * *

 **As you can tell, this is my first time writing for this fandom/writing a musical. Whoops.**


	2. ii

"You _will_ go, you _will_ find the Fairy Godmother, and you _will_ bring me back her magic wand," Maleficent instructed in a matter of fact voice, filing her long nails, before blowing at them and examining her work. "Easy Peasy," she claimed, throwing at a wink at the children that stood in front of her throne.

"What's in it for us?" Mal questioned uneasily.

"Matching thrones, hers and hers crowns," Maleficent listed in an unamused tone, before Carlos stepped forward, interrupting, "Um, I think she meant _us_ ," motioning towards the teens. The dark fairy sat up straighter, eyes flickering dangerously as she gestured with one of her sharp nails for Mal to come closer. Mal stepped closer hesitantly, as her mother stood to talk.

"It's all about you and me, baby. Do you enjoy watching innocent people suffer?"

"Well, yeah, who doesn't?"

"Well then, get me the magic wand!" Maleficent raised her voice, "Then you and I see all that and so much more. And with that wand and my scepter, I will be able to bend both good and evil to my will!"

"Our will," Evil Queen corrected, and Queenie turned to see that the other parents were watching the conversation like hawks. "Our will, our will," Maleficent repeated, waving her hand dismissively, before her attention returned to Mal. "And if you refuse, you're grounded for the rest of your life, missy." Another wink.

"Wha - Mom." Maleficent moved closer to Mal, her eyes glowing green, and Queenie glanced away from their intense staring contest instead focusing on the filthiness of the apartment around them. Not that her own was any better but - still.

Queenie did look up, however, when Mal let out an annoyed huff. "Ugh, fine, whatever," as her mother smugly gloated, "I win."

"Evie! My little evilette in training!" Evil Queen called out in a sing song voice. Evie rushed over and quickly sat herself in front of her mother, who continued, "You just find yourself a prince with a big castle and a mother-in-law wing - "

" - And lots and lots of mirrors!" Evie and her mother said at the same time, with Evie laughing dreamily at the idea. Her mother, however, shook her head and hummed in disapproval. "No laughing. Wrinkles," Evil Queen reminded her.

"Well, they're not taking my Carlos," Cruella claimed, "I'd miss him too much." Carlos glanced at his mother with hopeful eyes. "Really, mom?"

"Yes!" Cruella nearly shrieked, "Who would touch up my roots, fluff my fur, and scrape the bunions off my feet." She propped her leg up, Carlos holding it as his face turned stony. "Yeah, well, maybe a new school wouldn't be the worst thing," the youngest boy mumbled, releasing Cruella's leg.

"Carlos, they have dogs in Auradon."

Carlos' face paled, as he immediately backtracked - to the amusement of his mother. "Oh, no. I'm not going."

"Well, Jay isn't going either," Jafar announced loudly, "I need him to stock the shelves in my store." Pushing his son further away from the group, he questioned, "What'd you score?" Jay dug around in his pockets, pulling out random objects that barely interested his father, before finally holding out a dark lamp, something that made Jafar nearly pass out.

"A lamp!" He gasped excitedly, dropping the other objects and ripping it away from his son, rubbing the lamp vigorously. "Dad," Jay said, trying to get his attention, "I - already tried." Jafar let out a noise of disgust, tossing it back to his son.

Queenie was so caught up in everyone else's conversations, she barely even noticed her own mother speaking. "I don't want Queenie to go," she claimed, taking her daughter's small hand into her large one, "Who else will play croquet with me? Or paint my roses?" Her mother looked at her expectedly, and, well, she had to have her way. After all, Queenie didn't feel like dealing with a temper tantrum. "I can't go," she added softly.

"Well, Evie's not going anywhere until we get rid of this unibrow."

"What is wrong with you?" Maleficent yelled, all hands whipping around to look at her in surprise as she descended down the stairs. "People used to cower at the mentions of our very names! For twenty years, I have searched for a way off of this island. For twenty years, they have robbed us of our revenge."

"Revenge on Snow White and her horrible little men."

"Ow," the Evil Queen said.

"Revenge on Aladdin and his bloated genie!"

"I will - " Jafar raised his wooden spoon, as if to attack, but Jay held him back.

"Revenge on every sneaky Dalmatian that escaped your clutches."

"Oh, but they didn't get baby, they didn't get the baby!" Cruella chuckled insanely, as she squeezed the stuffed dog attached to her neckline. Maleficent paused for a moment, staring at the crazy woman, before continuing.

"Revenge on Alice and that wicked cat."

The Queen of Hearts' face turned red and she yelled, "Off with - " But Queenie stopped her quickly, laying a hand on her mother's shoulder and shushing her, though the woman continued to pout angrily for the rest of the time. After all, Alice and the Cheshire Cat were a sore spot for the Queen.

"And I, Maleficent, the evilest of them all," Maleficent took the small mirror from the hands of the Evil Queen, looking at her reflection, "I will finally have my revenge on Sleeping Beauty and her little prince." She put the mirror done and announced, "Villians! Our day has come!"

"EQ, give her the mirror."

Evie looked over the small mirror her mother handed her, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "This - is your magic mirror?"

"Well, it ain't what it used to be," The Evil Queen answered, glancing over at Maleficent and playfully adding, "Then again neither are we." The two women snickered over the comment, before continuing, "It will help you find things."

"Like a prince?" Evie asked hopefully.

"Like my waistline."

"Like the magic wand! Hello?" Maleficent nearly shrieked, before standing up suddenly. "My spell book! I need my book!" The Evil Queen, not even looking, pointed at the refrigerator behind her. "Oh! The safe! The safe! Queen, help me! I never can figure this thing out."

The Evil Queen stood and pulled a handle, the safe opening with ease. "Voila."

Maleficent removed the book and nearly dropped the freezing object. "Come, darling, come," she called, and once Mal was by her side, she ran her hand over the book, voice soft, "It doesn't work here but it will in Auradon." She glanced up at the parents, face almost at peace, "Remember, when we were spreading evil and ruining lives."

"Like it was yesterday," the Evil Queen responded.

"And now," Maleficent turned to Mal, "You will be making your own memories. By doing exactly what I tell you." She pushed the book into Mal's arms, making the young girl stumble at the impact.

A honk sounded from outside, and suddenly everyone was up and moving.

"Let's get this party started," Jay clapped.

"Carlos!" Cruella shrieked, "Come!"

Standing in front of her daughter, the Evil Queen asked, "Who is the fairest of them all?" Evie replied, with hesitance, "Me!" before blinking and correcting herself, "Ah, you."

"Better."

Jafar laid a hand on his son's shoulder and saying, "Now, recite our manta."

"There's no 'I' in 'team'," Jay answered confidently, and his father shoved him lightly. "Oh, run along, you're making me tear up."

Seeing all of this, Queenie turned to her mother, hopeful that she'd say something, anything. Maybe I'll miss you or - she wasn't going to press her luck - maybe I love you. The Queen of Heart laid her hand on Queenie's back, guiding her towards the door. "No tomfoolery. No sass. No kings or princes in line - "

Queenie blinked at that. "What?"

"Darling, I can't have you in a position over me. If you married a king or someone in line, you'd be a queen too. And we can't have that, now can we? Remember, all ways are - "

" - Your way, I understand," Queenie responded, her shoulders shagging in defeat. Her mom tsked in disapproval, before questioning, "I understand, what?" The young girl look up at her mother - her fat, mean, tyrant for a mother - and for once in her life, she wanted to rebel. She wanted to scream and leave and be with her friends and, god, date a prince if she wanted to. But her stomach flipped nervously as her mother's eyes narrowed and she swallowed.

"I understand, your majesty."

Her mother's face softened and she hummed happily. "That's more like it."

* * *

With her red luggage in hand, Queenie walked down the stairs and was met with the sight of a long, black limo - a sight so rare that a crowd had gathered to see and touch the oddity.

She calmly placed her bag into the trunk and opened the door, crouching down to move within the small space. The seat was black leather and was rather comfortable, and Queenie questioned whether or not she would get a quick nap in before all of her friends joined her and started making loud noises.

There was some screaming outside, most likely coming from Cruella, before Evie arrived and Carlos nearly threw himself into the vehicle. Jay joined them next, and, after a long pause, Mal did as well.

The group sat in silence as the limo began to move forward, and they all heard their parents cry out.

"Bring home the gold!"

"Bring home some roses!"

"Bring home a puppy!"

"Bring home a prince!"


	3. III

The first thing the teenagers noticed was the candy. Brightly colored, varying in size and shape, so pleasing to the eyes yet so foreign to them all - of course they'd be drawn to it. Jay and Carlos sprung first - greedy hands digging into each bowel, each bag, and taking whatever they could. Queenie waited until the boys settled back to grab a rather charming heart shaped lollipop.

She looked at the lollipop in wonder, twisting it carefully in her hand. She'd never really had sweets as a kid, though her mother had always took her about the treats that she had while in Wonderland - before she and her husband had been taken from their home and sent to the Isle.

Tentatively, Queenie licked the red lollipop and found that it wasn't very sweet but instead it was almost sour - the cherry taste making her purse her lips. She wasn't paying attention to her friends - but she noticed how moody Mal seemed and how Evie kept trying to chew on a blue rock sucker.

And she chose to ignore Carlos and Jay after the youngest of the two opened his mouth to show off the unchewed food. Queenie wrinkled her nose at that, but when Evie cried out, "Look!" She craned her neck to look out of the now open partition and she saw -

Queenie's eyes wided.

\- a broken bridge.

They were going to die. Oh god, they were going to die. "It's a trap!" Carlos shrieked in horror. They all screamed in terror, before reaching out and clinging onto one and another, squeezing their eyes closed as they waited, and waited, and waited.

When there was no crash or splash, Queenie opened one eye and finding nothing had changed, she slowly released the tight grip she had on Jay's shirt. They all moved rather slowly, cautiously, before Carlos asked, "What just happened?" Evie laughed, an excited smile on her face, "It must be magic!"

They glanced back at the driver, as Mal tried to get the man's attention. "Hey!" She waved the remote that she had found, "Did this button just open the magic barrier?"

He glanced at the group through his mirror, the dark shades giving away nothing. "Nope," he claimed, before holding up a smaller, gray remote, "This one opens the magic barrier. That opens my garage. And this one." He faded off, as the partition began to roll up. "Okay," Mal sat back, facing them once more with a breathy laugh, "Nasty. I like that guy."

And they all nodded in agreement.

* * *

Queenie passed the rest of the time napping on and off - something that Jay and Carlos' endless yelling made almost impossible. But she managed just fine and, when Evie finally shook her awake, she actually felt well rested. Queenie stretched her arms above her head, wincing as her tight muscles protested the movement, before she glanced out the window, just in time to see a sign that read "Welcome to Auradon Prep. Goodness doesn't get any better."

And just when it couldn't get worse, the limo came to a halt, almost completely surrounded by smiling and cheering students, marching bands and large signs that read 'WELCOME'. Carlos and Jay had begun to fight over objects that they both wanted to steal, and when the limo driver opened the door to let them all out, Carlos was the first to tumble out,

The younger boy hit the ground, with Jay stepping on him to get the silk scarf out of his hands.

The music faded off as all eyes went to the fight.

"You got everything else! Why do you want whatever this is?"

"Because you want it!"

The three girls had managed to slip out of the vehicle, but Queenie tried not to flush in embarrassment over the scene that they were causing. "Guys," Mal hissed, "We have an audience." By then, a boy and girl their age, and a small, older lady had come forward, each looking concerned by the situation in front of them. Jay and Carlos froze, before Jay relaxed, picking Carlos up by his jacket. "Just - cleaning up," he claimed, an easy going smirk on his face.

"Leave it how you found it," the older woman responded, her voice almost sugary sweet, "And by that, I mean leave it." Jay glanced down at the stuff he had taken, before tossing it back into the limo. When he turned back around, his smirk returned as he confidently waltzed over to the teenage girl - who was rather like a doll, wavy brown hair, big brown eyes and a perfect white smile. "Hello, foxy. The name's Jay."

The girl let out an uncomfortable laugh, before the woman stepped between the teens. "Welcome to Auradon Prep." Jay stepped back, moving back to his spot beside Carlos. "I'm Fairy Godmother, Headmistress."

Queenie blinked in surprise, as Mal's eyes widened. "The Fairy Godmother?" The purple haired girl questioned, "As in Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo?"

"Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, you know it."

"Yeah," Mal laughed, trying to charm the fairy, "I always wondered what it felt like for Cinderella when you just appeared out of nowhere. With that sparkly wand and warm smile. And that sparky wand." Fairy Godmother scoffed, looking obviously flattered. "That was a long time ago. And, as I always say, don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future!"

The boy stepped forward then and, well, Queenie couldn't help but find him attractive. Short blondish hair, hazel eyes, and a puppy dog face, the teen had it going for him. "It's so good to meet you all. I'm Ben - "

" - Prince Benjamin," the girl corrected, a wide smile on her face, "Soon to be king."

Evie stepped forward, her voice dreamy. "You had me at prince." She curtsied, before continuing, "My mom's a queen, which makes me a princess." The girl beside Ben gave Evie a fake smile, before rather harshly responding, "The Evil Queen has no royal status here. And neither do you." Evie backed up, throwing a glare at the girl.

"This is Audrey," Ben introduced awkwardly, before she took his hand, correcting him once more, "Princess Audrey. His girlfriend. Right, Benny Boo?"

"Ben and Audrey are going to show you all around and I'll see you tomorrow." Fairy Godmother added, before breaking apart Ben and Audrey's hands rather dramatically. "The doors of wisdom are never shut! But the library hours are from 8 to 11. And as you may know, we have a little thing about curfew." The Headmistress turned then, leaving the seven teens alone to stare awkwardly at one and another, before finally, Ben made his way over to the others.

"It's so good to finally meet - " Ben went to shake hands with Jay, but was met with a fist to the chest, as Jay grinned at him. " - you all." Ben quickly moved on to Mal, shaking her hand briefly, before continuing. "This is a momentous occasion. And one that I hope will go down in history." After he shook Carlos' hand, he noticed the melted chocolate on his hands and all over his mouth. "Chocolate," he breathlessly laughed, before shaking Evie's hand and finally coming to Queenie.

The two shook hands and Queenie briefly wondered if she was supposed to curtsy, wondered what her mother would expect if she was here, before mentally cursing herself. Her mom wasn't here, she didn't have to do what she wanted, she would never have to know. "As a day, our two peoples began to heal."

"Or the day that you showed five people where the bathrooms are."

Ben turned to Mal, chuckling. "A little bit over the top?"

"More than a little."

Audrey glanced between the two, before quickly plastering a fake smile on her face and interrupting. "Hey, you're Maleficent's daughter, right?" She questioned, Mal glancing over at her, "Yeah, you know what? I totally don't blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff." Mal's eyes widened, as Audrey added, "Oh, my mom's - "

" - Sleeping Beauty," Mal said, "Yeah, I've heard the name. And I totally do not blame your grandparents for inviting everyone in the whole world, expect for my mother, to their stupid christening."

"Water under the bridge?"

"Totes." The two let out a fake laugh, that made Queenie cringe.

Ben clapped his hands, trying to change the subject. "Okay, how about a tour?" None of the teens protested, instead simply began to follow the future king. "Auradon Prep. Originally built three hundred years ago and converted into a high school by my father when he became a king." He led them all through a beautiful garden, complete with flowers, hedges and a large statue of the current king. But when Ben clapped his hands, the human status transformed into a beast, making Carlos scream and jump into Jay's unwilling arms.

"Carlos, it's okay," Ben explained, trying not to laugh, "My father wanted his statue to morph from Beast to Man. To remind us that anything is possible." Seemingly admiring the status, Mal questioned half heartedly, "Does he shed much?"

"Yeah," Ben answered, a serious look on his face, "Mom won't let him on the couch." Ben turned then, moving towards the entrance of the school and Queenie caught Mal's eyes, both wondering if Ben had been joking or not.

Entering the school, Queenie glanced around her at the double staircases and the woodwork along the walls, finding that the interior was almost - cozy. Very - school like, in Queenie's opinion. "So," Mal questioned again, "You guys have a lot of magic here in Auradon? Like wands and things like that?"

"Yeah, it exists, of course," Ben answered, "But it's pretty much retired. Most of us here are just ordinary mortals."

"Who just happen to be Kings and Queens."

Audrey gave another fake smile, wrapping Ben's arm around her shoulder. "That's true. Our royal blood goes back hundreds of years." Ben awkwardly glanced around, before finding a seeming beacon of hope. "Doug!" He called out, moving away from Audrey - to her annoyance. Their attention went to a nerdy boy in a band uniform, who whipped around to face them all. "Doug, come down here!"

Doug quickly hurried down the stairs, meeting Ben at the bottom. "This is Doug," he introduced, "He's gonna help you with your class schedule, as well as show you your dorms." Walking back to Audrey, Ben added, "I'll see you later, okay?" His gaze stopped on Mal, the statement almost directed at her, before continuing, "And if there's anything you need - "

" - Ask Doug," Audrey finished, before the two were gone.

"Hi guys!" Doug said, rather joyfully, "I'm Dopey's son. As in Dopey, Doc, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, and - " His eyes fell on Evie and they wided, as he gripped the clipboard in his hands tighter. " - Heigh Ho," he breathed out. Evie stepped forward, twirling her hair flirtatiously. "Evie. Evil Queen's daughter."

Doug paused for a moment, his eyes still on Evie, before he shook his head, changing the subject. "Right, well, about your classes. I put the requirements in already. History, Safety Rules for the Internet, and, uh, Remedial Goodness 101." Queenie let out a sigh. She just knew they'd make them take a goodness class. Mal leaned over Doug's shoulder. "Let me guess. New class?"

Doug gulped.

"Come on, guys," Mal said, popping a piece of candy in her mouth and dropping the wrapper, "Let's go find our dorms." They all mumbled in agreement and really, all Queenie wanted was to lay on a bed and maybe take another nap or just sit down and relax. They all hurried up the first staircase, before they heard Doug call out to them. "Oh, uh, yeah. Your dorms are that way, guys."


	4. IV

The dorm wasn't terrible. Sure, the pink and the entire cleanness of the room was a little harsh on the eyes at first but it wasn't bad. She just needed to get used to it, after being surrounded by so much red and black her entire life. And - well - Queenie had always dreamed of having a canopy bed, had always dreamed of being a proper princess like Evie. But things were different on the Isle, even more so in Wonderland. Glancing at her friends, she could tell they each had different reactions to it.

Evie was in love, it was so clear. Her eyes were bright and she couldn't hide her smile, though she was clearly trying to contain her happiness. She was a princess, of course she enjoyed how it all looked. If they had had the proper resources back home, Queenie was sure this is what Evie's room would have looked like.

Mal, on the other hand, was trying to contain her disgust. She wrinkled her nose, glancing around at the brightness as if it could and would burn her.

"Wow, this place is so amaz - " Evie began, before Mal interrupted, " - Gross."

"I know right?" Evie continued, "Amazingly gross." Seeing Evie looking discouraged, Queenie decided to step up and add her own two sense. "I don't know. I think it's okay. It's kinda - cute." Evie's head whipped around to look at her with big eyes and an even bigger smile, while Mal wrinkled her nose again, before saying, "Ugh, I'm gunna need some serious sunscreen." She walked towards the large windows, mentioning to the curtains, before continuing, "Q, E. Windows."

Both girls obeyed, pulling the silk curtains together, covering the once lit room in darkness.

"That is much better."

* * *

Once night had fallen and the other students had returned to their dorms, Queenie, Evie, and Mal carefully made their way to the boys' room. The sight when they entered - well, Queenie honestly wasn't surprised a bit.

Carlos was engaged in a intense video game battle, his eyes never leaving the screen, and Jay was emptying his pockets of things he'd previously taken - wallets, watches, money, jewelry, and even a laptop. "What are you doing?" Queenie asked curiously, sitting down on his bed, picking up a rather large gold watch.

Before she could examine the watch further, it was ripped out of her hands.

"It's called stealing," Jay answered sarcastically and Queenie wanted nothing but to punch the grin off of his face. She opened her mouth to make a clever remark (or call him a few choice words, whatever came out first), but Mal beat her to it. "Okay, but what's the point?"

"Well, Mal, it's like buying whatever I want. Except it's free."

"Okay. So you could do that," Mal covered over to the bed, "Or you could leave all this stuff here and pick it up when we take over the world." Evie glanced away from her mirror, pursing her lips. "You sound just like your mom." Putting a hand over her heart, Mal smiled, "Thank you." Jay watched the conversation with an unimpressed look, before rolling his eyes. "You do it your way. And I'll do it mine."

"Die suckers!" Queenie jumped slightly, having forgotten that Carlos even in the room. "Jay, come check this thing out! It's awesome!" Jay hurried over and took the controllers, enjoying the game almost immediately, a smile breaking out on his face.

"Guys! Do I have to remind you what we're all here for?"

"Fairy Godmother - blah - blah - blah," Jay recited, not bothering to even look at Mal, "Magic wand - blah - blah - blah." Queenie laughed along with the others, but quickly stopped once Mal lost her temper. "This is our one chance prove ourselves to our parents!" All smiles were gone, all attention now on the purple haired girl. "To prove that we are evil, and ruthless, and cruel. Yeah?"

The four teenagers had echoed their own 'yes's. "Evie, mirror me." They all gathered around the table, looking intently at the tiny mirror Evie held. "Mirror, mirror, on the - in my hand. Where does Fairy Godmother's wand - stand?"

A picture of the wand appeared, and Mal suggested, "Zoom out."

"Magic mirror, not so close."

A picture of the earth appeared instead, and Queenie let out a sigh.

"Closer...closer...closer." Carlos glanced at them before asking, "Can I go back to my game? I'm on level three - "

"- Stop!" Jay cried out. They all leaned closer, eyes glued to the mirror, as they read the sign that was pictured. "It's in the museum," Mal said, before Queenie asked, "Do we know where that is?" By then, Carlos already had his laptop open and fired up, typing the name in quickly and scanning over the page. "2.3 miles from here."

* * *

It took them a while to make it to the museum. Not that there was any real obstacles outside of the school - actually, it was rather easy for them to slip out unnoticed. It was more so the fighting and constant bickering that had slowed them down, but soon enough, they were standing in front of the door, peering in through the glass panes.

There was a only one security guard, his eyes glued to the multiple screens - each watching over a different artifact.

But right in front of them stood Maleficent's Spinning Wheel.

"That's - your mother's spinning wheel?" Jay asked, trying his hardest not to laugh. Carlos didn't even try, snickering as he commented, "Yeah, it's kind of dorky."

"It's magic," Mal argued with a pout, "It doesn't have to look scary." She then looked down at her mother's spell book, leafing through the pages, before reading, "Magic Spindle, do not linger, make my victim prick a finger."

The man didn't even flinch.

"Impressive."

"I've got chills."

Mal glared at the boys, before glancing back down at the page. "Prick the finger, prick it deep, send my enemy off to sleep." The security guard spun around and, slowly, made his way to the spinning wheel, raising his hand and reaching forward towards the spindle. When he came into contact with it, a spark was set off and he let out a yawn, before he laid down right where he was standing.

Queenie was impressed, for the most part, and Mal smirked. "Not so lame now, huh?" She tried to open the door, but, with their luck, it was locked.

Jay cracked his knuckles, walking further and further away from the door. "Stand back."

Mal flipped quickly through the spell book, before whispering, "Make it easy, make it quick, open up without a kick." The doors swung open, just as Jay had charged forward, ready to aim a good, strong kick. Instead of hitting the door, he landed on the ground.

While her friends laughed, Queenie felt a strong tug in her gut when she saw Jay still laying there. "Are you okay?" She asked, ignoring the roll of Mal's eyes, and Jay opened his eyes, sitting up quickly with a sigh. "Yeah," he mumbled, his cheeks bright red. Just before Queenie could ask anything else or even help him up, Mal called out, "Come on!"

They all passed through the hallways silently, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of the wand. They came to a room, however, that they just could not pass by. Five statues, their parents, each restored to their earlier 'glory'.

The teens were frozen where they stood.

"Mommy?" Evie whispered, looking at her mother's statue, which depicted her holding her famous poisoned apple.

"Killer," Jay claimed in a soft voice, his eyes locked with those of his father, as well as the eyes of his snake spector.

"I'll never forget mother's day again," Carlos promised, almost shaking at the sight of his mother chasing a set of puppies.

"I like my head where it is," Queenie mumbled, her small hand rubbing at her neck. Her mother's statue was frozen mid scream and just the sight of it was made Queenie feel cold and icky inside. She quickly looked away from her mother's angry black eyes, willing herself to not throw up or pass out.

She's not angry at you, Queenie quickly told herself, she's not angry at you.

Jay snapped them all of out of their trances. "Well, there's no wand here," he commented shakily, "Let's bounce." When none of them moved, he made his voice louder. "Let's go!"

Queenie glanced at her mother one last time before she left and the sudden urge to rebel against her came over her again. Even though she knew that it wasn't really her and that it was just some cheap remake, she still wanted to scream. She wanted to sass her mother for the first time in her life, she wanted to tell her that not everything could be her way, she wanted to yell that she was none being controlled by a toddler -

But she kept it in.

Just like when she was in the apartment, she kept it in and quickly followed after Jay.

* * *

Mal and Evie were the last ones to leave the room, and when they finally caught up with them, they had found the wand.

Smirking, Jay ran from the balcony they were on, down the stairs to an area closer to the wand, with all of them hurrying behind him. He crouched below the bar, slowly reaching out towards it, as Mal began to cry out. "Jay, don't! No, don't! Don't!"

The glittery blue barrier repelled him, a loud shrieking alarm sounding afterwards. The loud sound made Queenie flinch and she clamped her hands over her ears, trying to listen to what the others were saying over the alarm but failing. When they all started running towards the stairs, Queenie followed.

They hurried down the stairs, before exiting through the front doors, Carlos staying behind. Mal cursed, before rushing back to the doors and calling out the younger boys' name, and only a few seconds later, he joined them and they continued to run as fast as they could.

"Way to go, Jay!" Mal hissed, "Now we have to go to school tomorrow!"


	5. V

If someone hands you a crying baby, do you A.) curse it, B.) lock it in a tower, C.) give it a bottle, or d.) carve out it's heart?"

Queenie was struggling to even keep her eyes open, her chin resting on her folded arms. Remedial Goodness 101 was their first class, starting at 8:20 sharp, and while skipping her first period may have been okay back on the Isle, here - it was a big no-no. So Queenie was forced to sit through an hour of Fairy Godmother's whimsical lecturing on goodness and her questions - oh god, her questions.

It was easy for Queenie to know the answer - after all, she'd always been known as the "nice" one out of their friend group (not that that was a good thing, in fact, it was more of an insult back home). But she had barely gotten any sleep the night before and waking up before 9 o'clock always had her feeling like death.

Evie's hand flew in the air. The Fairy Godmother looked rather pleased as she called on her.

"What was the second one?"

Fairy Godmother's smile faded. "Okay, anyone else?" Queenie kept her head down, silently praying that the woman wouldn't call on her. "Queenie," her sing-song voice sounded and Queenie sighed softly, wondering why she even tried. "Are you awake, dear?"

"Yes," she mumbled into her arm. "Good, now why don't you answer this question?"

Queenie lifted her head up, glancing at the chalkboard at the front of the room, mulling over whether or not to answer it wrong. "C, give it a bottle," she finally answered.

The older woman's face brightened. "Correct!" When she turned back to the board, Carlos turned around in his chair, craning his neck to look where Queenie was sat. Knowing what the younger boy was about to ask, she simply sighed. "I just - chose the one that seemed like less fun."

Queenie winced at how fake her answer sounded, but her friends didn't noticed, each turning back to the front, a look of realization on each of their faces. "That makes so much sense," Evie whispered to herself.

A small girl with big blue eyes and short mousy, brown hair entered the room, eyes downcasted once she noticed the teenagers. As she scurried past them, she let out a high pitched squeal and continued towards the front of the room. Fairy Godmother's smile softened at the sight of her. "Hello, dear one."

The girl didn't seem to like having her back to the villians, as she quickly handed her a clipboard and whipped around, eyes scanning over the teenagers. "You need to sign off an early dismissal for the coronation." Mal sat up a little straighter, elbowing a distracted Evie.

"Everyone here remembers my daughter, Jane?"

"Mom!"

"It's okay," Fairy Godmother insisted, "Jane, this is everyone."

The young girl gulped, gripping the clipboard tightly. "That's okay. Don't mind me. As you were." Another squeal followed as she hurried past them. "Let's continue," Fairy Godmother turned back to the board, her voice taking a dramatic tone, "You find a vial of poison. Do you A.) put it in the king's wine, B.) paint it on an apple - " Evie giggled at that one, raising her hand, " - or C.) turn it over to the proper authorities?"

Everyone except Queenie's hand flew up, with Jay trying to knock Carlos' down. "Jay."

"C.) You turn it over to proper authorities."

Carlos scoffed. "I was going to say that."

"Oh," Jay cooed, "But I said it first." He quickly grabbed and held the smaller boy in a headlock, messing up his styled hair, much to Carlos' protests. "Boys," Fairy Godmother turned, but they continued fighting, "Boys!" Their eyes flew up to meet her's.

"I am going to suggest that you use that energy on the Tourney field."

* * *

The day moved slow after that; the villians were together for some classes and apart for others - those were the classes Queenie hated. Because everyone knew that she was new and everyone knew that she was evil. Or at least they knew her mom and they just assumed she was exactly like her.

Which - no.

In fact, if you overlooked the fact that Queenie was named after her mother, she was very much like her father. Small stature, blonde hair, a relatively nicer personality. And both of them had the habit of being too cowardly to stand up to the Queen.

She wished that she could yell it at every student that declined sitting next to her, every student that whispered behind her back, every student that watched her like hawk. By lunch time, she was ready to explode - she didn't know if she wanted to scream or if she wanted to burst out in tears.

Seeing the name of the class after her lunch period, though, made her push through.

Art.

On the island, she was always painting her mother's roses and it was actually something that she was praised for (because apparently she was much better than the cards back in Wonderland). Art would be a breeze.

Before the bell, she hurried into the room and paused, glancing at the easels and paints and white canvas already set up. She quickly took a seat, ignoring the terrified looks her classmates gave her, and instead glanced to the front of the room, where the teacher was clearing her throat.

The woman had short, brown hair and bright green eyes, and, to Queenie's surprise and amusement, she was barefoot. Compared to the other teachers at Auradon, this one was different - and Queenie liked that.

"Alright, class, settle down," the woman laughed, her voice rather beautiful, "We don't have a lot of time, so we need to get started right away." Behind her was a bowl of fruit and once she made her way over to her desk, the other students in the room started painting. Queenie tried to paint the fruit bowl but - it was so boring. And her classmates were doing the same thing - purple bowl, yellow banana, red apple, purple grapes - it was a total snore.

So, she improvised.

She used different colors, giving the painting an abstract feeling. But - it just wasn't enough for Queenie. After a moment of staring at the painting, she figured out what she was missing. Queenie added a rose and, liking how it turned out, she added another. And another. And another.

"Time to clean up, everyone! Class is almost over!"

Queenie blinked in surprise, slowly placing her brush in her jar of water and taking her paint tray over to the sink. The class had passed so fast and now she was actually sad to see it go, after all it had been the most fun she'd had all day.

As she was putting away her brushes, she noticed a few students gathering around her painting. Queenie tried to keep calm as she made her way over to the easel. A girl with black hair and snow like skin glanced up at her, before asking, "Is this your's?" Queenie nodded, her stomach doing somersaultes.

A tall dark skinned boy raised his eyebrow, before scoffing. "That's not what we were supposed to do."

"What?"

"We were just supposed to paint the fruit bowl. That's it. Why - "

" - What's going on?" The teacher walked over to the group, and Queenie wanted to throw up. The woman's eyes caught sight of the painting, just as the bell rang. As most of the students trickled out of the classroom, Queenie's shoulders shagged as she followed slowly. She shouldn't have tried to be different, she should have just painted the dump bowl of fruit the way it was and maybe she wouldn't have to -

" - Queenie, right? Can you stay behind for a moment?"

There were a few students still lingering, but Queenie nodded, keeping her head down. When she did meet her gaze, however, she was surprised by how - happy she looked. "I just wanted to say thank you for thinking outside of the box," she gushed, "You know, you're my first student that didn't do what I said."

"Isn't that - bad?" Queenie questioned.

"Not in this case. Have you ever taken an art class before?" Queenie shook her head, before adding softly, "I just - always had a lot of time on my hands." The teacher hummed at that. "I understand that. More than you think. Oh - what a - I'm sorry. I'm Mrs. Fitzherbert. I forgot to introduce myself before."

Mrs. Fitzherbert picked up a few discarded brushes, before she grabbed a piece of paper and started scribbling on it. "Here," she said, holding it out to Queenie, "Give it to your teacher." She glanced at it weirdly, "What is it?" Mrs. Fitzherbert laughed at that. "I'm going to guess they didn't have excused tardy slips at your other school?"

"What's a tardy?"

"I think that answered my question."

* * *

When Queenie finally left the room, she passed by a rather tall boy, who had been leaning against the wall. "Hey," he called out, making Queenie stop to turn around and face him.

He was a dream come true. Blondish hair, blue eyes, defined jaw line, and perfect, pink lips - Queenie stopped herself there. No way, nuh uh. She was not going to be daydreaming about a boy who most likely wanted to yell at her for not 'listening' to the teacher. "Took you long enough," he laughed.

"What?"

"Well, I planned to walk you to your next class but you took forever in Fitzherbert's class," he smirked, adding, "I may have to miss my next class, but I think I'll get over it."

Queenie blinked in confusion. Was she missing something? "I - I don't even know you?" The handsome boy hit himself lightly on the forehead, laughing. "Where are my manners? The name's Chad, Chad Charming. But you can just call me, well, anytime." Chad winked and it took a second for Queenie to realize he was flirting with her.

"Oh, you - " A realization came to her, "Charming, so you're, like, Cinderella and Prince Charming's son?"

"The one and only."

A prince, Queenie thought to herself, a prince is flirting with me, if only mother could see me now - "So, where to?" Chad asked, before reaching over and grabbing the sheet out of Queenie's hand, despite her protesting. "Selflessness 101, huh? That's pretty close to my class. But it is pretty far from here. Gives us a perfect amount of time to talk."

"You know, I think I can find my own way to the class," Queenie said, trying to let him down easily, but Chad was just not having it. "Come on, it'll be fun. Plus I bet you have no idea how to even find the class."

"Well, you'd be wrong."

Queenie let out a shriek as she found herself being lifted up by her armpits and turned to face the hallway left of her, "To start off, you're going the wrong way so this isn't looking very promising." Queenie huffed, crossing her arms, before letting out an angry sigh. "Fine."

Chad smiled like he had won an award, before he asked, "How about a game of 20 Questions? Great way to break the ice." Before Queenie could even say no, Chad continued, "I'll start. You know my name, but I don't know your's."

"That's not a question," Queenie pointed out, and Chad rolled his eyes. "Sorry. What's your name?"

"Queenie."

He snorted. "Queenie?"

"It was my mom's idea," she mumbled, before asking, "What's your favorite color?" Chad laughed at that. "Wow, already getting to the hard questions. I'd probably say baby blue." And Queenie - she tried to keep to herself, she tried to act like she didn't care. Even if he was annoyingly arrogant, it was still impossibly easy to talk to him.


	6. VI

"Are you stalking me now?"

Queenie tried to speed up, hoping that maybe Chad would take the hint and leave her alone or maybe even that she could be fast enough to lose him in the sea of other students. Sadly, neither of those were the case. With his determination and his incredibly long legs combined, Chad caught up with her in no time.

"I just wanted to talk to you again, maybe walk you to your dorm?" Chad responded, a smirk growing on his face, and Queenie huffed. "That didn't really answer my question."

"Fine, maybe just a little. But for a good reason."

Queenie was sweating. On one hand, flirting back with Chad would be a great way to rebel against her mother and when the villians took over, it would seem evil. Right? But on the other hand, nothing good came out of an angry Queen of Hearts. And her friends would be angry if she let something as stupid as a hero's son get in their way of getting the wand.

"Look, Chad," Queenie smiled hesitantly, "That's nice and all, but - I have a lot of homework and, uh, I know where my room is. So, no need for you to lead me there."

"Even better." Oh no. "I don't have any homework, so I could help you with your's. Or at least - try." This boy just wasn't getting it. Queenie briefly wondered what Mal and Evie would do in this situation, before quickly realizing that 1.) one of Mal's glares would have had this boy running for the hills already and 2.) Evie would be eating this up. So - no help there. "How about tomorrow?" She suggested weakly.

"I have a tourney game tomorrow," his eyes brightened before he added, "You should come and watch."

"I'll - think about it."

* * *

Later, once Queenie had finally gotten away from Mr. Can't-Take-No-For-An-Answer, four of the villians were gathered in the girls' dorm room. Carlos was clicking away on his laptop, absentmindedly petting a dog (some time earlier that day, he'd overcome his fear for the cute little guy and now seemed perfectly okay with him never leaving his side), and while Evie was finishing up some homework and Mal was aggressively flipping through a spell book.

Queenie, on the other hand, was sketching in a notebook that she had found. The drawing was random, just lots of shapes and patterns and lines, but she still liked it.

The door slammed open and all four of their heads whipped around to see Jay - clad in a striking blue jersey.

The older boy cheered loudly, almost modeling the new shirt for all to see. "Did your plan work with Jane?" He asked once he'd finally calmed down, "You going over to see the wand?" Mal sighed rather angrily. "Do you think I would be going through every single spell in this book if I hadn't completely struck out?"

"Someone's in a bad mood."

Mal whacked him with the book, defensively saying, "My mom's counting on me. I can't let her down."

"We can do this!" Jay spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him with wide eyes. "If we stick together."

"And we won't go back until we do. Cause we're rotten - "

" - To the core," The other four finished Mal's sentence, just before Evie added, "Oh, yeah. I found out that Fairy Godmother blesses Ben with the wand at coronation and we all get to go." She rolled her eyes, "I have nothing to wear, of course." The teens stared at Evie in shock, before being interrupted by a knock.

When Mal stood and opened the door, Ben - speak of the Devil - was on the other side.

"Hey, guys," he started warmly, "I didn't see any of you today. I was just wondering if you had any questions or anything that you needed?" Mal looked back at them, before responding, "Not that I know of." Just Ben was getting ready to walk away, Mal called out, "Wait!"

"Is it true we all get to go to your coronation?" Ben smiled at that, replying, "Yeah, the whole school does."

"Wow, this is beyond exciting," Mal claimed, twirling a piece of her purple hair, "Do you think there's a possibility that the five of us could stand in the front row next to the Fairy Godmother, just so that we could - soak up all that goodness?" Ben's smile faded. "I wish you could. Up front, it's just me, my folks, and my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend," Mal repeated slowly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Okay, thanks, bye," Mal shut the door in Ben's face before he could even say another word. She then turned to her friends, a mischevous smirk on her face. "I think it's time Benny Boo got himself a new girlfriend. And I need a love spell." She clapped her hands, motioning at Carlos, who threw the book towards her.

* * *

Closer to midnight, the five teens sat in the kitchen of the school, as Mal was making her potion. "Alright, it says we still need one tear," she read from the book, "And we never cry."

"Let's just chop up an onion," Carlos suggested, grabbing one from a nearby container. "No," Mal sighed, "The spell says we need one tear of human sadness. And this love spell gets the best reviews, so we need to follow it exactly."

"A tear's a tear," Jay sighed, before Evie butted in, carrying a bag of flour and arguing, "That's not true, Jay. They both have antibodies and enzymes, but an emotional tear has more protein compared to a reflex tear." Queenie looked up at Evie in surprise, letting out a small laugh. "Listen to you."

"Yeah, I knew that."

"Did not."

"Did too."

The door opened suddenly, with a Chinese girl in pink pajamas entering - Lonnie, she had been in one of her classes. Catching sight of them, she smiled brightly. "There you are, Mal! I've been looking for you. You know, all the girls want you to do their hair." She then noticed the bowl in front of Mal. "Midnight snack, huh? What you guys making?"

"Nothing special, just cookies," Mal lied, just as Lonnie's hand darted out and scooped up a bit of the batter, putting it in her mouth. "No!" They all screeched. Lonnie looked at them in confusion, before commenting, "What? I'm not gonna double dip."

"Do you - feel anything?" Queenie questioned.

"Like it might be missing something?" Mal quickly added.

Jay made his way over to Lonnie, before leaning against a metal bar flirtatiously. "Hey there." Lonnie stared at him for a moment, before pursing her lips and turning away. "Could use some chips," she claimed, as she began digging through the fridge. Everyone in the room let out a silent sigh of relief, before Mal asked, "And what are those?"

"Chocolate chips. The most important food group."

She grabbed a handful and sprinkled them over the batter, before looking up at the confused faces surrounding her. "Wait, didn't your guy's mom's ever make you, like, chocolate chip cookies? Like when you're feeling sad and they're fresh from the oven with a big glass of milk. And she just makes you laugh and puts everything into perspective?" She glanced up at the sad faces of the other teenagers, before asking, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"It's just - " Mal shrugged tightly, " - different where we're from."

"Yeah, I know. I just, you know, I thought even villians love their kids..." Lonnie trailed off, looking closer at the faces around her. Queenie thought of how she had grown up as her mother's doll - her's to dress up and play with and pamper, but when Queenie had needed something or when the Queen was bored, she was tossed away.

"Oh," Lonnie gasped wetly, "How awful." Mal noticed the tear first and quickly lunged forward, wiping it away and into the bowl. "Yeah, well, bummer," she claimed, sounding a little more chipper as she pushed Lonnie out of the kitchen, "But we have to get these in the oven. Thank you for coming by, have a goodnight, evil dreams."

Mal turned back to them, a smile returning to her face. "Now that that's taken care of, let's get this show on the road. Boys, cookie sheets, Evie, keep mixing, and Queenie, get the oven ready."


	7. VII

Queenie kind of liked Auradon.

Sure, it was always a little too bright outside and everyone seemed to have a thing for pastels, but it was really nice not being the only "nice" person around. For the first time in her life, her friends weren't making fun of her for being too gullible or likable and she actually had someone who really seemed to enjoy her conversations and - and Queenie could really, really get used to it. She could never admit it to her friends, though; they'd go nuts if they discovered that she could even stand being surrounded by so many goody-two-shoes.

So when Jay came to Mal with a conflicted look on his face, Queenie could feel her heart in her throat.

She followed him slowly, holding onto the glass door hesitantly and listening intently. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't the only one who actually - kind of - liked it here.

"Are you feeling kind of weird about this?" He asked softly, "I mean, it's not so bad here, you know." Queenie's heart was beating fast, she was right, Jay liked it here too and it was okay, it was okay, maybe she could admit it now and maybe they could stop the whole -

"Are you insane?"

Queenie's stomach dropped.

"Long live evil!" Mal insisted, raising her fist, "You're mean! You're awful! You're bad news! Snap out of it." Queenie looked down, her stomach uneasy with shame. Mal was right, they needed to snap out of it - mean, awful, bad news, that's all anyone would see, no matter what. She felt stupid for even thinking about it.

"Thanks, Mal," Jay responded, "I needed that."

So did I, she tried to convince herself. She watched Jay move and lean on ledge of the balcony, the flirtatious giggles below making her want to roll her eyes.

When Audrey finally turned away from Ben and walked away, Mal smirked and called out, "Hey, Bennyboo!"

The prince smiled and walked towards her, as Mal held up a bag containing the cookie. Queenie let out a deep breath, it was go time.

"I just made a batch of cookies," Mal claimed, showing it off, "Double chocolate chip, do you want one?"

"Oh, I, uh, I've got a big game," He tried to reason, "I don't eat before a big game. But thank you so, so much. Thank you. Next time." Just as he started walking away, Mal spoke up. "No, yeah. I completely understand." Ben stopped at that. "'Be careful of treats offered by kids of villians.'"

Ben tried to interrupt, looking shocked, but Mal continued, "No, I'm sure every kid in Auradon knows that."

"No, that's not it. No, no, no, I... I really do - "

" - No, I get it. You're cautious. That's smart." She then let out a sigh, opening the bag and bring the cookie to her mouth, "Oh, well, more for me, I guess."

"No, no, hey - " Ben grabbed the cookie out of her hand and shoved it towards his mouth, ripping a large chunk out of it. "See that? Totally trust you. Totally."

Mal looked back at them and Queenie began inching closer and closer to them, curious to see if the potion would work or not. "How are they?" She asked softly, with Ben giving a big grin. "They're great. They're amazing!"

"They're, uh - I mean, they're chewy, and, and you know, they - is that walnuts? I love walnuts. I mean, uh, you know, the - the chocolate - " Ben started to clear his throat, glancing more and more at Mal. "The chocolate - the chocolate chips are - I'm sorry. Um - Uh, they're warm and soft. And they're sweet." At that moment, all of the VKs surrounded the happy couple. "Mal, have you always had those little golden flecks in your eyes?"

Just as he tried to take another bite, Mal rushed forward and took the cookie away from him. Jay wrapped his arms around Ben, before asking with a smirk, "How you feeling, bro?"

"I feel - I feel - I feel like - like singing your name," he claimed cheerfully, before loudly singing out, "Mal! Mal!" Mal again rushed forward, handing the cookie off to Jay, before putting a hand over Ben's mouth.

Their plan had worked perfectly.

* * *

"This is a nail-biter, folks. There's 47 seconds left on the clock. We're all tied up."

Queenie quickly ate another handful of popcorn.

She really didn't care about the outcome of the game, though part of her really hoped that Auradon would win and there would be so much cheering and singing and then Chad would run over to her and take her into his arms and - Queenie blushed. She really needed to stop reading her mother's romance novels.

Speak of the devil, Chad ran out on the field, putting his helmet on, and Queenie couldn't help but clap and cheer along with the crowd. Mal glanced at her questionably, but didn't comment any further. Mainly because Jay and Carlos were both standing up and - and - no way. They were both heading out to the field.

This time, Evie cheered with her.

And when the game started up again, they, surprisingly, weren't bad. They were passing to Ben and everything was going so good, they had the shot open - but the goalkeeper on the other side blocked it.

"What is he doing?" Evie asked, leaning over to Queenie. Jay grabbed Carlos and was maneuvering him through the dragon fire and - and then everything went so fast, the ball bounced off of Carlos' shield, then Jay passed it and Ben scored.

The crowd and the announcer went wild, with Evie holding on tightly to her hand and jumping up and down. And Queenie couldn't help but cheer and scream as well.

"Excuse me."

Queenie turned away from Evie and Mal, her full attention on Ben, who had seemingly ripped the microphone away from the announcer.

"Excuse me. Can I have your attention, please?" The cheering stopped and all eyes were on the prince before them.

"There's something I'd like to say." Evie and Queenie looked at each other with wide eyes and - no, there was no way he was going to - "Give me an M!"

"M!" The whole stadium responded.

"Give me an A!"

"A!"

"Give me an L!"

"L!"

"What does that spell?"

"Mal!"

Queenie slapped a hand over her mouth, trying her best not to laugh at how indifferent Mal looked towards all of the sudden attention on her. "Come on, I can't hear you!"

"MAL!"

"I love you, Mal, did I mention that?"

The crowd both cheered and swooned at that, and Queenie could see Audrey running off the field in anguish. She felt bad for the girl, but before she could say anything, the music started. "What was in that cookie?" Mal asked, as both Evie began laughing and dancing along with the music.

"Did I mention that I'm in love with you?" Ben sang, "And did I mention there's nothing I can do? And did I happen to say I dream of you everyday? Well, let me shout it out loud, if that's okay, hey, hey."

"Hey!" The crowd cheered.

"If that's okay."

"Hey!"

"I met this girl that rocked my world like it's never been rocked. Now I'm living just for her and I won't ever stop. I never thought that it could happen to a guy like me. But look at what you've done, you've got me down on my knees." When Ben fell to his knees, Queenie started clapping and cheering along with the crowd, now unable to stop the laughter.

"Because my love for you is ridiculous!" Evie and Queenie started to sing along, mainly to try and make Mal look less stone faced. "R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S."

After the next verse, Ben took off his jersey and threw it - with Mal catching it right away and looking rather pleased with herself. Queenie was so focused on the jersey that she didn't know until the last minute that Ben was crowding surfing towards them. Suddenly, he was standing in front of them, his eyes only on Mal. The music was ending and he was leaning down for a kiss, which Mal moved away from quickly. He instead wrapped his arm around her, speaking into the microphone. "I love you, Mal, did I mention that?"

The microphone was then ripped away from Ben and Audrey was standing next to Chad.

"Chad's my boyfriend now! And I'm going to the coronation with him."

Chad looked shocked by that. "So I don't need your pity date," she finished before leaning over and - kissing him. Queenie's mouth dropped and - and she felt like she had been kicked in the gut. Chad's eyes caught her's after he pulled away and suddenly, he looked scared and hurt, but Queenie didn't care.

He had just been playing her the whole time. And judging by Evie's expression, he'd done the same thing to her.

She didn't hear Ben asking Mal to the coronation in Audrey's place or Mal leaning over to talk to Evie. She couldn't. All she could hear was her mother calling her an idiot and - and she was right. How could she be so stupid to believe that someone would like her? Or even have a little interest in her?

* * *

"Queenie!"

Queenie tried to walk faster, even rushing underneath the bleachers, but that didn't seem to stop him. She felt a hand enclose her wrist and bring her to halt. She yanked her wrist away from Chad, but didn't try to move away from him - through her mind was screaming at her to run, Instead, she turned to face him,

"What?" She tried to make her voice as cold and mean sounding as Mal's, but instead it came out sounding sad and pitiful.

"Look, I didn't mean - I didn't know she was going to do that, alright?"

"What about Evie then? You were playing us both!"

Chad looked shocked at that. "Evie? How did you - "

"I was going to find out sooner or later," Queenie claimed, "Look, you don't have to pretend you care anymore."

"Queenie, please, let me explain, you only know her side - "

"Goodbye, Chad," she said. As she turned and began to walk away, the tears finally overfilled and fell freely down her face.

How could she be so stupid?

* * *

...

So it's been a year now.

Hi.


	8. VIII

Queenie dashed to her seat in art class.

The day so far had been - well, it had been pretty bad. It wasn't like terrible things kept happening - no, in fact, it would have a pretty nice day if it wasn't for everything that had happened with Chad. She had barely slept the night before, her stupid brain kept replaying that kiss over and over, and - and all Queenie wanted to do was vomit.

The worst part was that she knew she shouldn't be this heartbroken.

She'd known him for like two days total and he obviously felt nothing for her, he was just flirting with her...and Evie...and Audrey, and probably a ton of other gullible girls on this island. So why did she still feel hurt?

Desperately trying to distract herself, she threw open her bag and pulled her notepad out, flipping through it to find the next blank page, and reached back inside for her pencil case - which, to her luck, seemed to have disappeared. While she dug through backpack, someone sat down next to her and she tried her very best to not look up.

"Queenie."

She pretended not to hear him, continuing her hopeless search.

"Queenie, please, just talk to me."

She threw her bag down in a huff, turning back towards her open notepad. Queenie briefly thought about just sitting and staring at the empty page for the rest of the class period, but well, she wasn't that petty - or strong. She glanced over at Chad, before mumbling, "Do you have a pencil?"

The boy blinked in surprise, before holding out his pencil (his only pencil, Queenie quickly noted - Chad only ever seemed to carry an empty bookbag and a single pencil). She reached over to grab it but he pulled away at the last second.

"Not until you talk to me."

"I just did."

"No. Like, really talk to me."

By now, Queenie was frustrated. "What's there to talk about? How you were flirting with me and my best friend at the same time? And probably every other girl in this school? You wanna talk about that?"

"No! I mean, I do, I just - " Chad paused, dragging his hand down his face, before letting out a deep breath. "Let's play 20 Questions."

"How is that - "

"Queenie, please. Just one game. Any question you want and I'll - I'll be honest."

She paused for a moment, looking into his clear, blue eyes, and before deciding, "Okay. But I start."

"That's fair."

Queenie thought for a second, a million questions coming to mind. "Are you and Audrey together?" She wanted to facepalm. "Sorry, that was stu - "

Chad shook his head. " - There's no stupid questions. And no, I was telling the truth yesterday. I had no idea she was going to do that. What did Evie all tell you?"

Her stomach dropped. "She, uh, mentioned that you thought she was pretty and that you were interested in her mirror. Oh, and that she did your homework for you." She left out that a tearful Evie had also told her that they had been literally inches away from kissing, something that made Queenie's stomach hurt worse.

Chad looked embarrassed by that but before he could say anything, Queenie asked her next question. "What were you planning on doing with her?"

He looked more ashamed than anything now, as his blue eyes were suddenly downcast. "I know it sounds like a jerk move, but - I was planning on having her do my homework until you guys went back." Queenie was shocked by that answer and a little ashamed of how relieved she suddenly felt. He doesn't have feelings for her.

"And with me?" It wasn't her turn to ask, but Chad didn't object. Instead, he caught her gaze and didn't let go. "You're - like nothing I've ever seen or met before. I wanted to - get to know you. Queenie, I'm sorry if I hurt you. But I promise, I'll make it up to you - if you'll let me."

"There's this really cool ice skating rink - maybe, if you want - " Chad started fumbling over his words, looking suddenly nervous. "I've never been ice skating," she responded and noticing his face drop, she quickly added, "But I'd love to try."

A large grin grew on Chad's face. "Awesome, be at the fields by 7:30. I'll pick you up."

And suddenly, Queenie's heart was soaring.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time Queenie arrived at the tourney field.

It was deserted, the only sound being the slight breeze rustling the nearby trees. Queenie shivered, crossing her arms in an attempt to protect herself from the sudden chill. She should have grabbed a thicker jacket, but Evie had been preparing Mal for her date with Ben and Queenie knew, just knew, that if she stayed too long in the room or if her friends asked one too many questions, she'd crack and tell them everything.

And she - she just couldn't do that to Evie.

Queenie was still trying to shake the thought of Evie's big teary eyes when Chad pulled up in a -

"Is that yours?" She couldn't believe her eyes. The motorcycle before her was the definition of glamorous, deep black paint, shiny silver accents - there was no doubt that this was the best money could buy.

Chad glanced at the bike in confusion. "Oh, yeah. Do you like it?"

"Like it," she let out a soft laugh, "I've never seen anything like it - it's amazing." Queenie resisted the urge to reach her hand out and caress the motorcycle.

"Well, maybe I'll let you drive it."

Queenie's head snapped up to look at Chad, her eyes wide with shock. "Really?"

"I said maybe."

Both of them laughed, before Chad motioned her to get on and Queenie gladly obeyed.

* * *

"I'm dying."

"No, you're not, get up."

Queenie groaned, not moving an inch. This had been the fifth time so far that she'd collasped oh-so-not-gracefully on the ice and her body (as well as her self-esteem) was happier with her staying where she was. She would have felt a little better if Chad had at least fallen once - maybe even slipped a tiny bit - but, of course, it turned out that Chad was some kind of ice skating expert.

Her cheeks were going to be permanently red.

Queenie opened her eyes slightly, peeking out, and found that Chad was standing over her, his hands on his hips, a smirk on his face.

"Queenie - "

" - Can we take a break? A real one? On solid ground?"

Chad let out an overdramatic sigh, before he reached down and - picked Queenie up under her armpits. Her eyes widened and she let out a shriek. When he finally set her down outside of the rink, she punched his arm. "You need to stop doing that," she huffed, but the smile on his face didn't even waver.

"Get your skates off and pick a table, I'll go grab us some hot chocolate," he hummed and before Queenie should chastise him further (or ask what hot chocolate was), the tall boy had run off.

Waddling over to one of the booths, Queenie sat down with a thud! before going to work unlacing her white skates.

By the time she had managed to sled the skates off and take her gloves off, Chad had returned with two steaming styrofoam cups. Glancing up at him, Queenie's heart skipped a beat. His cheeks were slightly red from the cold, his blonde curls messy, his lips pink and -

Her train of thought was stopped when Chad placed the cup in front of her and sat down in front of her.

She would have been embarassed by her thoughts, if she wasn't confused by the drink before her; she looked down at the steaming brown liquid and then back at Chad. He took a sip from his cup, before asking, "What's wrong?"

"What's this?"

Chad blinked. "Hot chocolate."

Queenie made a face, before Chad blinked again, a look of realization on his face. "I - You didn't have this on the Isle, did you?" She shook her head, and he continued, "It's a - a hot drink, for when, you know, you're cold and it's sweet and - chocolately. You can put marshmellows in them, I didn't - put them in yours, I didn't know if you liked them and I didn't want to, you know, mess up - "

She sniffed the drink, the sweet smell making her stomach rumble angrily. Cautiously, Queenie took a sip. The taste - it was like nothing she had ever tasted. Thick and creamy, it was a little bitter but so insanely sweet at the same time. Her stomach felt warm immediately and Queenie smacked her lips, the taste lingering on her tongue.

"What do you think?"

"It's perfect," Queenie sighed, taking a large gulp of the hot chocolate. Chad let out a soft laugh, his gaze never leaving her. After finishing the drink, she let out a happy hum, feeling lazy and content, before asking, "20 Questions?"

"I feel like this is becoming a habit," Chad laughed, shaking his head. "You first? Or me?"

"Go ahead."

It was quiet for a moment, before Chad asked, a touch of nervousness in his voice, "What's your parents like?"

Her smile slowly slipped off of her face, her stomach turning cold in a second flat. She - she hadn't given her mother much thought lately, hadn't felt her icy grip in so long and now - now reality was suddenly crashing down on her. Queenie's eyes dropped to look at the empty, stained cup in her hands. She gulped, before willing herself to speak.

"My dad - I look like him, I guess. He's kind of small and blonde. He's afraid of everything, especially of my mom. I - I feel sorry for him sometimes. Mom is a whole different story. She's - " Looking Chad in the eyes, she suddenly felt a surge of anger, of power, " - terrible. She's one of the most worthless, pathetic human beings I've ever met."

"Woah," Chad whistled and Queenie blinked, feeling like she needed to vomit. "I shouldn't - I shouldn't have said that. She's my mom, I can't - "

"Just because she's your mom doesn't mean she isn't terrible."

Queenie swallowed, before changing the subject. "And Cinderella? What's she like?"

A small smile grew on Chad's face. "She's amazing. Probably the best mom a guy could ask for. Dad's - not really there a lot, but she makes up for it, she's like two parents rolled up into one."

"Chad, I'm sorry - "

" - It's okay," he answered a little too fast, a little too sharp, but moved on before Queenie could question him further. "What are you afraid of?"

She looked at him, her eyebrows knitted together in worry, before thinking. "Um, I'd have to say heights. You?"

Queenie didn't expect the long pause that followed nor did she expect the soft answer that came afterwards. "Not being popular."

"What?"

Chad ripped off a piece of the styrofoam, his jaw tight. "I - I know I'm not the smartest. Or the best at certain things. When I follow the others, though, I get to the top. And when I'm at the top, I - I feel like a king."

"That almost sounds like peer pressure."

Another chunk of styrofoam. "You know what peer pressure is?"

"We have a class on it on the Isle."

Chad snorted. "How to Pressure 101?"

"Something like that."

There was a pause, before Queenie spoke up, "You shouldn't be afraid of not being popular. It's okay, I'm true you have tons of friends without it." More silence and she suddenly wanted to hug the boy in front of her. "Well - then you don't need them. They're not worth it." Chad shook his head, mumbling, "It's easier said then done."

Queenie sighed. They sat there for a few moments in silence before she glanced at his hands slowly ripping apart the cup. She paused, her heart suddenly beating faster, as she reached over and pulled one of his hands away, stopping the nervous tic. His large hand was so warm in her small hand, and she could feel that warmth spreading throughout her body once more. Chad didn't pull away like she imagined, instead he intertwinned their fingers and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Her mouth suddenly felt dry but when she met his gaze once more, she found herself saying, "You said that you're not good at certain things. But that's okay. Not everyone can be perfect. I - I'm not very good at being evil."

Chad looked surprised at that. "Really?"

It was a difficult subject for her. After all, she'd spent her childhood with Mal and Jay pulling her pigtails and laughing at how 'good' she was. She was surprised that she had even brought it up, but well, it just seemed like the right time. "Really. I'm a goody-two-shoes, I - I've accepted that. But while I suck at being mean, I'm actually really good at painting."

"And while you suck at math or reading," she continued, "you're amazing at tourney. And figure skating."

Chad let out a laugh at that - a real one. "Thanks." The two looked at each other in the eyes for a few seconds and just before she could lose herself in those blue eyes and do something stupid, Chad blurted out, an easy smirk on his face, "Shall we continue?"

* * *

A/N: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm so sorry.

I just moved into college and I forced myself to finish this chapter.

I'M GOING TO FINISH THIS STORY, I SWEAR.

There's literally two chapters left.

And I also have a sequel planned, but I need to get the DVD version of the new movie.

Thank you all! Sorry for the crappy chapter and the wait.


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